Protective sleeve for a wooden post

ABSTRACT

A sleeve for a wooden post protects the post from moisture, insects, and rot . The sleeve may be manufactured from an elastic material which stretches over the lower end of the wooden post, or a heat-sensitive material which shrinks to cling to the wood surface when exposed to sufficient heat. The sleeve completely protects the wood from penetration by moisture and insects, and is provided in sizes to fit 2″×4″, 4″×4″, and larger wooden posts if need be.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/077,336, filed Nov. 10, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to lawn and garden equipment and supplies, and in particular to a protective sleeve for a wooden post. When installing a fence, the best practice is to place the lower 24 to 30 inches of the wooden post below ground level, and tamp down the soil firmly around it. An even better practice is to pour asphalt, concrete, or gravel into the post hole, although this is expensive and labor intensive. The result is a strong wooden post that will withstand such problems as high winds, and passing livestock brushing against it. Unfortunately, placing the lower end of the wooden post so deeply into the soil exposes it to rot and insects. Particularly in damp, rainy climates and areas infested with wood-boring insects, such as carpenter ants and termites, after just a few years a hard contact will snap off the wooden post at ground level. A protective sleeve for a wooden post, which seals around the wood and prevents penetration by moisture and insects, would resolve this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to a protective sleeve for a wooden post. The sleeve may be manufactured from an elastic material which stretches over the lower end of the wooden post, or a heat-sensitive material which shrinks to cling to the wood surface when exposed to sufficient heat. The sleeve completely protects the wood from penetration by moisture and insects, and is provided in sizes to fit 2″×4″, 4″×4″, and larger wooden posts if need be.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate two embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the first exemplary embodiment with a wooden post, displaying the sleeve 10, and the wooden post 11.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the first exemplary embodiment installed on a wooden post, displaying the sleeve 10, and the wooden post 11.

FIG. 3 is a side transparency view of the second exemplary embodiment on a wooden post prior to heat shrinkage, displaying the sleeve 10, and the wooden post 11.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the second exemplary embodiment on a wooden post after heat shrinkage, displaying the sleeve 10, and the wooden post 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a protective sleeve 10 for a wooden post 11.

It is to be understood that while the invention is intended for use with wooden posts, this is not intended as a limiting factor. With suitable modifications or with no modifications at all, the invention may be used with signposts and any other structures which must be secured below ground level, such that they are in contact with the soil and exposed to rot and insects.

The first exemplary embodiment is comprised of a flexible, waterproof sleeve 10 which is preferably manufactured from an elastic, durable material such as latex. The sleeve 10 completely protects the wood from penetration by moisture and insects, and is provided in sizes to fit 2″×4″, 4″×4″, and larger wooden posts 11 if need be. The sleeve 10 is preferably 30 inches in length and may be cut to a shorter length as desired by the user before installation. To use the first exemplary embodiment, the user stretches the sleeve 10 over the lower end 14 of the wooden post 11 and slides the proximal end 12 upward, until the lower end 14 of the wooden post 11 rests against the distal end 13 of the sleeve 10.

The second exemplary embodiment is similar in structure and function to the first exemplary embodiment, with the following modification. The sleeve 10 is preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable material which is heat-sensitive, and shrinks to cling to the wood surface when exposed to sufficient heat, such as PVC or LDPE. To use the second exemplary embodiment, the user places the sleeve 10 over the lower end 14 of the wooden post 11 and slides the proximal end 12 upward, until the lower end 14 of the wooden post 11 rests against the distal end 13 of the sleeve 10. The user then applies heat with a heating gun or propane torch, such that the sleeve 10 shrinks tightly against the surface of the wood.

Components, component sizes, and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and materials could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A protective sleeve for a wooden post, comprising: (a) a sleeve; (b) said sleeve being flexible and waterproof; (c) said sleeve being open at a proximal end; (d) said sleeve being closed at a distal end; and (e) said sleeve being configured to snuggly fit on a bottom end of a post. 2) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is made of an elastic material and said sleeve is configured to stretch over said bottom end of a post. 3) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 2, wherein said elastic material is latex. 4) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 2, wherein said sleeve is sized to fit a standard size post. 5) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 3, wherein said sleeve is sized to fit a standard size post. 6) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 2, wherein said sleeve is thirty inches in length and said sleeve is configured such that it may be cut to a shorter length. 7) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 3, wherein said sleeve is thirty inches in length and said sleeve is configured such that it may be cut to a shorter length. 8) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is made of a heat sensitive material such that said heat sensitive material shrinks to cling to said post when exposed to sufficient heat. 9) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 8, wherein said sleeve is sized to fit a standard size post. 10) The protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 8, wherein said sleeve is thirty inches in length and said sleeve is configured such that it may be cut to a shorter length. 11) A method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post, the protective sleeve for a wooden post comprising: (a) a sleeve; (b) said sleeve being flexible and waterproof; (c) said sleeve being open at a proximal end; (d) said sleeve being closed at a distal end; (e) said sleeve being made of an elastic material; and (f) said sleeve being configured to snuggly fit on a bottom end of a post; the method comprising: (g) a human user stretching said sleeve over a lower end of said post; (h) said human user sliding said proximal end upward until said lower end of said post rests against said distal end of said sleeve. 12) The method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 11, wherein said elastic material is latex. 13) The method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 11, wherein said sleeve is sized to fit a standard size post. 14) The method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 11, wherein said sleeve is thirty inches in length and said sleeve is configured such that it may be cut to a shorter length. 15) A method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post, the protective sleeve for a wooden post comprising: (a) a sleeve; (b) said sleeve being flexible and waterproof; (c) said sleeve being open at a proximal end; (d) said sleeve being closed at a distal end; (e) said sleeve being made of a heat sensitive material such that said heat sensitive material shrinks to cling to said post when exposed to sufficient heat; and (f) said sleeve being configured to snuggly fit on a bottom end of a post; the method comprising: (g) a human user places said sleeve over a lower end of said post; (h) said human user sliding said proximal end upward until said lower end of said post rests against said distal end of said sleeve; and (i) said human user applies sufficient heat to said sleeve so that said sleeve shrinks tightly against said post. 16) The method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 15, wherein said sleeve is sized to fit a standard size post. 17) The method of using a protective sleeve for a wooden post of claim 15, wherein said sleeve is thirty inches in length and said sleeve is configured such that it may be cut to a shorter length. 